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Annotation:Biddy McGee (1)
X:1 T:Biddy McGee [1] M:6/8 L:1/8 R:Jig B:Coes Album of Jigs and Reels, something new, for professional and amateur violinists, B:leaders of orchestras, quadrille bands, and clog, reel and jig dancers; consisting of a B:Grand Collection of entirely New and Original Clog-Hornpipes, Reels, jigs, B:Scotch Reels, Irish Reels and Jigs, Waltzes, Walk-Arounds, etc. (1876, p. 36) N:Coes performed with the San Francisco Minstrels in California from 1852 to 1859. Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:Gmin DGG G^FD|B3-B2c|d2B d2f|cAF {G}FEF| DGG G^FD|B3-B2c|def cBA|BGA G2z|| g2z z~G2|g^fg gab|f2z z~F2|f=ef fga| g2z zG2|g^fg gab|fed cBA|BGA G2z:|]
BIDDY MCGEE [1]. AKA and see "Catholic Boys (1), "Paddy from London." Irish-(American?), Jig (6/8 time). G Minor. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. "Biddy McGee [1]", by an unknown composer, may well have been American in provenance and associated with the blackface minstrel stage which frequently had stereotypical Irish characters doing skits and songs, and parodied in much the same way as were African-Americans. Moreover, it is possible the tune was associated with a song performed by a female impersonator, another mainstay of blackface minstrel troupes. In any case, the name 'Biddy McGee' crops up in numerous stage Irish and Irish comic songs. Musically, the first strain is shared with "Wellington's Advance," which is authentically Irish, having an Ulster provenance, according to Francis O'Neill.
